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William Cullen Bryant. Autograph manuscript signed of the final stanza of "Thanatopsis." One page, 5 1/4 x 7 inches, no plac...
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Description
William Cullen Bryant. Autograph manuscript signed of the final stanza of "Thanatopsis." One page, 5 1/4 x 7 inches, no place; June 5, 1868."Thanatopsis," written by William Cullen Bryant when he was still a teenager, is widely regarded as one of the earliest significant works of American poetry. Following its initial appearance in the North American Review, Bryant later revised the poem and included it in his 1821 collection, Poems. This collection is often cited as the first major book of American poetry. Notably, Richard Henry Dana, the editor who first published "Thanatopsis," initially questioned its authenticity as an American work, famously remarking, "No one, on this side of the Atlantic, is capable of writing such verses."
The manuscript reads, in full:
"'So live, that when thy summons comes to join
The innumerable caravan, which moves
To that mysterious realm, where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of Death,
Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night,
Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave,
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.'
William Cullen Bryant.
Copied June 5th 1868."
Condition: Lightly toned with smoothed folds and scattered soiling. Mounting remnants on the verso. Rough right edge where integral page was removed.
[With:]
William Cullen Bryant. Autograph letter signed to Jane Gay Fuller. One page, 5 1/4 x 7 inches, New York; June 5, 1868. In full:
"With this I send you the closing lines of a poem of mine, which you did me the honor to ask for, in my hand writing." Signed, "W. C. Bryant."
Condition: Lightly toned with smoothed folds and scattered soiling. Mounting remnants at the corners on the verso.
Provenance: From the William A. Strutz Library.
View all of [The William A. Strutz Library ]
Auction Info
2025 September 10 - 11 Important English and American Literature: The William A. Strutz Library, Part III, Rare Books Signature® Auction #6321 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2025
10th-11th
Wednesday-Thursday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 5
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 159
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% of the successful bid per lot.
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